Infiniti vc-t qx50

The addition of a computer-controlled linkage between the crankshaft and the connecting rods makes the Infiniti QX50's VC-T liter inline-four the first.

Official EPA Numbers and Pricing Announced for Infiniti QX50 With VC-T. January 16, AT AM By Tony Markovich 34 Comments. 0shares.

Infiniti's VC-T engine (for Variable Compression, Turbocharged) can change how far its pistons rise in its cylinders, which changes the engine's compression.

Select cars to compare from your search results or vehicle pages Ok. As the ever-quotable Bob Lutz famously said, "Americans buy horsepower but drive torque. But ads are also how we keep the garage doors open and the lights on here at Autoblog - and keep our stories free for you and for everyone. The QX50's turbo-4 is the first engine that can vary its compression ratio on the fly. View Full Specs and Compare.

Infiniti's new VC-T changes the rules of small turbocharged engines - Autoblog

L OS ANGELES, California — Despite countless obituaries predicting its gasping, sputtering demise at the sleek hands of the electric revolution, the year-old automotive internal combustion engine has a watershed moment. Additionally, along with the first-gen Q45 and the third-gen G35, this is one of the most significant cars to wear the Infiniti crest, leading the brand into a future with an increased focused on design and technology. Even removed from the powertrain hype, the new QX50 is an exceptionally important car for the brand, and no one would have batted an eye if they played it safe and launched the engine in a lower-volume model like the Q60 or QX30 as a market test.

The result is hp and lb-ft of torque routed through a CVT. Compared to the ubiquitous 3. To compensate for the power dip, the VCT packs noticeably more torque than the six-cylinder, available from lower rpm to boot.

On the flipside, thanks to the temporary high-compression cycle, efficiency is better than ever before, seeing a 35 percent boost in combined MPG when compared to the outgoing QX50 , and ostensibly the most efficient non-hybridized CUV in the segment with 27 combined mpg for the front-wheel-drive model. In practice, the engine is deceptively pedestrian.

In a blind experiment, I would be hard pressed to pick the VCT out from a lineup of turbo-fours. From the commuter crawl to on-ramp blasts, the engine feels like a regular—if not noticeably punchy—turbocharged four-pot.

All the changes occur behind the aluminum block curtain, and its only better for it. The regular, nine-to-five driver will be none the wiser. Dimensionally, it fits right in line with the compact crossover segment, vastly differentiating itself from the outgoing QX50, a car which suffered from dated hatchback proportions and ancient platform architecture. The new QX50 is 2. It certainly looks the part as well. The familiar gaping Infiniti grille is there, as are the raised hood lines and the kinked rear window.

Gone are the acres of upscale Nissan trim and switchgear, replaced with a portfolio of new buttons and panels exclusive to Infiniti. From the material finishing to the design, the top-spec QX50 is one of the most well-executed interiors the automaker has ever offered. ProPilot also includes semi-automated cruise control with steering assist, a system that manages speed, braking, and minor steering inputs to conceivably remove stress from the driver while in stop-and-go traffic.

In practice, it works as well as you would expect, especially on the eternally clogged highways just north of Malibu.

Once I was sick of letting the QX50 do most of the work, I turned onto tight California canyon roads en route to lunch. Like other Infinitis, the QX50 uses a steer-by-wire system, adapting the ratio and steering weight to both the driving mode and the steering inputs.

The steering is light and artificial, as is the brake feel, but these are hardly the most relevant factors to a potential QX50 buyer. In regular day-to-day driving, the QX50 is as amenable and easy-to-drive as any other crossover, so any complaints I or anyone else has regarding the driving experience or lack thereof are close to irrelevant. Regardless, the V-CT provides more than enough passing speed and the vehicle handles twisty roads better than expected.